The Arkansas State League was an American minor league baseball league that played in various seasons between 1894 and 1935, forming three different times. The first version was in operation in 1894, followed by an 1897 league. The Class D level league operated from 1908 to 1909 in Arkansas and Louisiana and also in 1934 to 1935 in Arkansas and Missouri. In 1936, the league evolved to become the Arkansas-Missouri League. Little Rock and Rogers each won two league championships.
Cities represented Alexandria, Louisiana: Alexandria Hoo Hoos (1909) Argenta, Arkansas: Argenta (1908); Argenta Shamrocks (1909) Bentonville, Arkansas: Bentonville Officeholders (1934–1935) Brinkley, Arkansas: Brinkley Infants (1908) Camden, Arkansas: Camden Rainmakers (1894) Cassville, Missouri: Cassville Tigers (1935) Fayetteville, Arkansas: Fayetteville Educators (1934); Fayetteville Bears (1935) Fort Smith, Arkansas: Fort Smith Indians (1894, 1897); Ft. Smith Soldiers (1909) Helena, Arkansas: Helena Ponies (1908); Helena Hellions (1909) Hot Springs, Arkansas: Hot Springs Bathers (1894, 1897); Hot Springs Giants (1908); Hot Springs Vaporites (1909) Huntsville, Arkansas: Huntsville Red Birds (1935) Jonesboro, Arkansas: Jonesboro Zebras (1909) Little Rock, Arkansas: Little Rock Rose Buds (1894); Little Rock Senators (1897) Monroe, Louisiana: Monroe Municipals (1909) Morrilton, Arkansas: Morrilton Cotton Pickers (1894) Newport, Arkansas & Batesville, Arkansas: Newport Pearl Diggers 1908; Newport-Batesville Pearl Diggers (1909) Pine Bluff, Arkansas: Pine Bluff Pine Knotts (1908) Poplar Bluff, Missouri: Poplar Bluff Tigers (1908) Rogers, Arkansas: Rogers Rustlers (1934); Rogers Cardinals (1935) Siloam Springs, Arkansas: Siloam Springs Buffaloes (1934); Siloam Springs Travelers (1935) Texarkana, Arkansas: Texarkana (1894); Texarkana Nobles (1897) Texarkana, Texas: Texarkana (1909)
Standings & statistics 1894 & 1897 1894 Arkansas State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Manager Little Rock Rose Buds115.688-NAMorrilton Cotton Pickers105.667½Massey Camden Rainmakers710.4124½ NAHot Springs Bathers311.2147NA Fort Smith IndiansNANANANARogers TexarkanaNANANANA NA Season ended June 23 1897 Arkansas State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Little Rock Senators217.750-Harry Edwards Hot Springs Bathers1715.5316Dudley Payne Fort Smith Indians1523.39510HardinTexarkana Nobles923.28114Thomas Browner League disbanded August 18; Little Rock and Hot Springs played a 21-game finals series
1908 & 1909 1908 Arkansas State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Hot Springs Giants7838.672-Arthur Riggs / W. ForbesNewport Pearl Diggers6544.5969½Robert Shelton Helena Ponies 6748.58310½Rudolph Kling Pine Bluff Pine Knotts5161.45524Walter Deaver / Al Sullivan Argenta Shamrocks4968.41928½James Kerwin / Roy Geyer Charles Reece / Arthur Riggs Poplar Bluff Tigers / Brinkley Infants 2879.26245½Al Sullivan / Lee Dawkins Poplar Bluff was replaced by Brinkley June 8. No playoffs scheduled.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Elmer Coyle Hot SpringsBA.376 Lucky Wright Hot SpringsW27 Elmer Coyle Hot SpringsRuns134 Hippo Vaughn Hot SpringsPct.900; 9-1 Elmer Coyle Hot SpringsHits178 Herbert Benham HelenaSB65
1909 Arkansas State League Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Jonesboro Zebras4227.609-Senter Rainey / Harry WelchHelena Hellions3925.609½C. A. VandergriffTexarkana 3435.4938Robert Shelton Hot Springs Vaporites3337.4719½Arthur Riggs / Elmer CoyleMonroe Municipals /Newport-Batesville Pearl Diggers2538.39714W. Dobard Ft. Smith Soldiers2742.39115Hugo Bezdek / Dad Ritter Argenta Shamrocks 2619.578NADad RitterAlexandria Hoo Hoos 2023.465NAJohn Auslet Argenta & Alexandria disbanded June 7; Monroe moved to Newport-Batesville July 1. League disbanded July 7.
1934 & 1935 1934 Arkansas State League The Arkansas State League reformed with four teams. Franchises based in Bentonville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Rogers, Arkansas, and Siloam Springs, Arkansas joined. The winners of the first and second halves of the season played for the league championship at the end of the year.
Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Bentonville Officeholders4035.533- Red Wilson /Tom McGill / Ed HawkSiloam Springs Buffaloes3734.5211 Clyde Glass Rogers Rustlers 3635.5072Ed Hawk / Pete Casey Fayetteville Educators3342.4407Fred Hawn / Frank Matthews Playoff: Rogers defeated Siloam Springs 5–2 in a one-game playoff for the first half title. Bentonville was declared second half winner when Fayetteville and Siloam Springs folded August 19. Finals: Rogers defeated Bentonville 4 games to 3
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot John Graves Siloam SpringsBA.387Maurice Wollard BentonvilleW12 Bill Beams BentonvilleRuns61 Everette Hill Siloam SpringsPct.889; 8-1 Parker Rushing FayettevilleHits96 Bill Beams BentonvilleHR12 Clyde Glass Siloam SpringsRBI67
1935 Arkansas State League The league expanded, adding the franchises in Cassville, Missouri and Huntsville, Arkansas to expand from four teams to six teams.
Team standingsWLPCTGB Managers Siloam Springs Travelers6643.606- Ray Powell Rogers Cardinals5950.5417Fred Cato / Frank Stapleton Cassville Tigers 5448.5298½Ed Hawk Bentonville Officeholders5156.47714 Bud DavisFayetteville Bears4556.44617 Lyle Casey / Fred CatoHuntsville Red Birds4163.39422½Jim Nicely / Charles Wilson Bill Werner Playoff: Rogers (1st half winner) defeated Siloam Springs (2nd half winner) 4 games to 3. All teams continued play in the renamed 1936 Arkansas–Missouri League. The Arkansas State League folded.
+Player statistics Player TeamStat TotPlayerTeamStatTot Duane Kratzer CassvilleBA.397Jumbo Brown BentonvilleW20 Howard Roberts CassvilleRuns89George Gibson BentonvilleW20 Wilbur Davis BentonvilleHits146 Johnny John CassvilleSO147 Wilbur Davis BentonvilleRBI93Jumbo BrownBentonvilleERA2.97 Howard Roberts CassvilleHR21
References Sumner, Benjamin Barrett. Minor League Baseball Standings:All North American Leagues, Through 1999. Jefferson, N.C.:McFarland.
Hall, John G. "Majoring in The Minors." Oklahoma Bylines-Transcript Press, Norman, Oklahoma 1996 and republished 2000 by Inter-State Printing, Sedalia, Mo. .